“You’re driving two hours into a storm because you’re too stubborn to wait one damn day.”
“There. Is. No. Storm.” I enunciated each word carefully. “Not until Sunday night. I will be back before then.”
“You don’t know that. Weather changes fast in the mountains. You should know that.” Instead of his voice rising, it got deeper. More controlled if that were even possible. “One wrong turn, one patch of ice, and you could slide off the road. Get stuck. Freeze before anyone finds you.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And you don’t get to tell me what to do.” The words burst out of me, louder than I’d intended. “You’re my boss, Dalton. Not my father. Not my keeper. And certainly not—”
I stopped myself before I said boyfriend. Before I acknowledged what had happened by the fire. What we were both pretending hadn’t happened.
“Not what?”
“Nothing. Forget it.”
He moved then, coming around the island in three long strides. I held my ground even though every instinct screamed at me to step back. To put distance between us.
He stopped close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him. Smell that scent of soap and leather and something uniquely Dalton.
“Not what, Amber?” he repeated.
“Move.”
“Finish the sentence.”
“No.” I shoved against his chest. He didn’t budge. Might as well have been pushing against a brick wall. “Get out of my way.”
“You’re not going.”
“Watch me.”
His hands shot out and gripped my upper arms. Not hard enough to hurt. Just firm enough to hold me in place. To make me look at him.
“She left on a day just like this.” The words came out flat. Empty.
I ached with sympathy for him. I placed my hand on his chest. His heart was beating faster than it should have been. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, Dalton.”
His grip tightened fractionally.
“I’m coming back,” I continued quietly. “I’m just visiting my mother. Two days. Then I’ll be back to finish the job.”
Those words only seemed to console him a little. Was it the knowledge that I was only here temporarily? I knew it was breaking something inside me. Was that why he’d pushed me away?
“I’m not Sarah. And I’m not going to pay for what she did to you.”
If possible, his face closed off even more. “That’s not—” He drew in a deep breath. “You shouldn’t drive in this weather.”
“Well, the weather isn’t here yet, now is it?”
“Damn it, Amber. I’m just trying to keep you safe.” He looked angry enough to shake me. Had I finally broken through some of that icy control?
Oh, how I wished it had happened that night. Then maybe we’d be having a totally different conversation today. Despite the looming storm, I knew I had to get away from him for a few days. And I wanted to see my mother. I knew my aunt was taking care of her, but seeing her in person was different.
I shook my head at him. “No, you’re not trying to keep me safe. If I’ve learned anything about you, it’s that you like being in control. Every aspect of your life.” I tossed my head. “Well, guess what? I’m not yours to control.”
His face went hard. Cold. “You want to go? Fine. Go.”
